Crafters tend to get lost in the “zone.” But as someone living with arthritis, the temptation to continue needle felting through the pain could leave you with stiff shoulders and cramped fingers!
With 29 joints and a complex web of muscles, ligaments, and tendons, our hands are capable of so much. However, arthritis can make even the simplest tasks, like turning a door handle or writing a name, challenging.
There are over 100 types of arthritis, each showing themselves in the body differently. And if you live with arthritis, you know it’s hard to do the things you love or discover new passions when you have chronic pain.
You can’t control everything that goes on with your body, but you can manage your crafts. If you have a love for needle felting but have to be conscious of your body in the process, start incorporating these needle felting tips today!
Start by stretching!
While you’ll certainly want to check with your doctor or physical therapist about stretches that will help your arthritis, these exercises might ease you into your needle felting work.
- Touch your thumb to each fingertip. Start with your index finger and end with your pinky finger. Move slowly at first, then get faster! Exercise each hand for 30-60 seconds.
- Roll up a small towel and place it in your hand. With your forearm resting on a flat surface, gently squeeze the towel 15 times. Repeat on the other side.
- Begin with your palm down on a piece of paper. Maintain contact with the surface of the table, and crumple the paper into a ball. Repeat on the other side.
Adjust how you needle felt.
Whether you’re used to sitting at the dining room table or on the couch, you’ll want to start considering your workspace and posture.
Create a space that’s the perfect height for you. If it’s too low, you’ll have to hunch over causing back pain. If it’s too high, your shoulders and neck will start to tense up.
They make adjustable craft tables, but to be honest, they’re pretty pricey! With a little creativity and patience, you might be able to find a table that suits you at your local second-hand shop.
For your chair, you’ll want to find an adjustable desk chair without arms so that you’re not inhibited in your movements. While you work, be mindful of your positioning. Try to align your arms and elbows!
Make sure to take a break every 30 minutes or so. Your fingers, back, and legs can always use a stretch.
Make your tools easily accessible.
Bending down, digging in the back of the cupboard, reaching high up on a shelf—don’t strain your body before you even get started! Sort through your needle felting supplies and keep them organized on a flat surface.
Keep all of your needles, wool, and felting pillows in their own organized areas so that you have easy access whenever you feel like sitting down to work on a project.
Embrace shortcuts!
The beauty of needle felting is that there’s always a way to hack the process so that you can complete stunning projects in less time…and with less stress.
The Bear Creek Needle Felting Academy offers the support and direction you need to thoroughly enjoy the process of needle felting with the right materials and tools plus many time-saving secrets. You will be amazed at what you can create with someone right there with you every step of the way, plus a community of crafters who want to see you succeed!
You can follow the courses at your own pace, listening to your body every step of the way. If you want to learn more, click here!
Learn to Needle Felt the Easy Way!
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Hello. 16 years ago we lost a wonderful 22 year old son to community acquired MRSA. We could no afford a life gem, so we taught ourselves how to make fused dichroic gems with ashes fused within. As part of the art community I became aware of the felting sculptures. A soothing feeling comes over me when I see these beauties (I just purchased my first as a Christmas gift) I will soon be 73 with slight stiffness in my fingers. What do you think? Am I too old and infirm to create these wonderful sculptures? Lynn, Starseeds.com
You are not too old or infirm! I have had 84 year old members in my Academy that have done beautifully. I too have stiffness in my fingers due to Rheumatoid Arthritis and think it helps to keep active.
How thoughtful of you to share tips for needle felting with arthritis!
A tool that has saved me from carpal tunnel (and arthritis. too) is the electric needle felter called AddiQuick Hobby, the Turbo Felting Machine.
You can buy it on Amazon or in some yarn stores. Cost averages $150. It is not cheap–but finally I can do some needle felting without hurting my hands! It just takes time to adjust to, and for finer areas, sometimes I need to use the hand needles, at least until I master the Turbo a bit more.
I recently discovered needle felting and fell in love. I hesitated to try it because my arthritis is becoming more of an issue, especially in my hands and shoulders. I am grateful to have found this article; maybe I can do it after all.
Good advice and those stretchy arthritis gloves after to increase your circulation might help too.
Interesting when I was having hand therapy for a trigger thumb (I have arthritis in my fingers too) the Physical Therapist told me that the rubbing motion of wet felting was actually probably good for my hands. So where there is a will there is usually a way to adapt when it comes to felting.
I did however have to give up my ribbon embroidery.